News > Weekly European Agenda | 05/07/2021
Weekly European Agenda | 05/07/2021
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5-11 July 2021
Monday 5 July
- EP: Plenary
- CoM: Ministerial Meeting on Cross-Border Connectivity between the EU and the Western Balkans
- EC: Von der Leyen attends the Berlin Process Summit
- EC: Timmermans meets with Prime Minister of South Korea
- EC: Jourová delivers a speech at the Side Event to the 47th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Freedom of Expression and Disinformation.
- CoR: Conference on the Future if Cross-Border Cooperation
- FRA: FRA and ODIHR discuss closer cooperation
Tuesday 6 July
- EP: Plenary
- CoM: Informal Meeting of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum
- EC: Von der Leyen delivers a speech at the New European Bauhaus – Werkstatt der Zukunft in Frankfurt
- EC: Várhelyi delivers a speech at the event ‘From Yugoslavia to the European Union: Western Balkans’ European integration and the new geopolitical challenges’
- EESC: Resource and Energy-Intensive Industries and the EU Recovery Plan
- Ombudsman: European Network of Ombudsmen
Wednesday 7 July
- EP: Plenary
- EC: Jourová speaks at the Ukraine Reform Conference
- EC: Gabriel participates in a roundtable discussion with the education technology sector
- EC: Várhelyi meets with the Prime Minister of Georgia
- CoR: Network of Former Members of the European Committee of the Regions
- Presidency: Workshop on the Development of Union Disaster Resilience Goals
- FRA: Launching FRA’s new hate crime reporting guidance
Thursday 8 July
- EP: Plenary
- CoM: Informal meeting of employment and social affairs ministers
- EC: Von der Leyen visits Cyprus and Croatia to deliver the Recovery Fund
- EC: Borrell participates in the 15th United States- Spain Forum
- EC: Dombrovski speaks at the Ukraine Reform Conference
- CoR: Work after the great emergency. Young people and the EU response
- Presidency: Workshop on the Development of Union Disaster Resilience Goals, “Deepening the European Research Area (ERA) through Gender Equality” Conference, Informal Workshop on Climate Change
- FRA: FRA Director to address Council internal security committee meeting
- CoE: Republic of Moldova – legal assistance to the PACE election observation mission
Friday 9 July
- EC: Jourová delivers a speech at the Hambach Democracy Dialogue 2021
- EC: Šuica delivers a speech at the Conference ‘Smart Villages – a new concept for rural development’
- EC: Várhelyi meets with the President of Armenia
Saturday 10 July
Institutional Agendas
European Parliament
Monday 5 July
Plenary Session
There will be a joint debate on the Financial Activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2020; Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2019; Use of technologies for the processing of data for the purpose of combating online child sexual abuse; European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund; and Old continent growing older – possibilities and challenges related to ageing policy post 2020. There will also be short presentation on the Implementation of EU requirements for exchange of tax information; Citizens’ dialogues and Citizens’ participation in the EU decision-making; Trade related aspects and implications of COVID-19; and EU-NATO cooperation in the context of transatlantic relations.
Tuesday 6 July
Plenary Session
The Slovenian Presidency of the EU Council will present their programme of activities to the European Parliament. There will be joint debate on the Connecting Europe facility 2021 – 2027; Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund 2021-2027; Visa Information System (VIS): visa processing; and Visa Information System (VIS): conditions for accessing other EU information systems for VIS. There will also be debates on Streamlining measures for the realisation of the TEN-T; Railway safety and signalling: Assessing the state of play of the ERTMS deployment; The creation of guidelines for the application of the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget; Situation in Nicaragua; The repression of the opposition in Turkey, specifically HDP; Foreign Interference in democratic processes; EU global human rights sanctions regime (EU Magnitsky Act); Situation in Tigray, Ethiopia; The 70th anniversary of the Geneva Convention; Integrated Border Management Fund: Instrument for Financial Support for Border Management and Visa Policy 2021-2027; and the Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area.
Votes: There will be votes on the Recognition of third countries certificates in inland navigation; Draft amending budget No 3/2021: surplus of the financial year 2020; European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights; Interbus agreement: Protocol on international regular and special regular carriage of passengers by coach and bus; Railway safety and signalling: Assessing the state of play of the ERTMS deployment; Trade related aspects and implications of COVID-19; Common system of value added tax: conferral of implementing powers to the Commission to determine the meaning of the terms used in certain provisions; Financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2020; Control of the financial activities of the European Investment Bank – annual report 2019; Protection of the EU’s financial interests – combatting fraud – annual report 2019; The impact on the fishing sector of offshore windfarms and other renewable energy systems; and European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.
Wednesday 7 July
Plenary Session
There will be debates on the Conclusions of the European Council meeting of 24-25 June 2021; Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament; The outcome of 22 June hearings under Article 7(1) of the TEU regarding Poland and Hungary; Commission Work Programme 2022; State of play of the implementation of the EU Digital Covid Certificate regulations; European Medicines Agency; General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030; A new ERA for Research and Innovation; and a joint debate on the Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights in Hungary and Poland.
Votes: There will be votes on Measures necessary for the implementation of the Protocol, annexed to the Treaty establishing the European Community, on the financial consequences of the expiry of the ECSC Treaty and on the Research Fund for Coal and Steel; Managing the assets of the ECSC in liquidation and of the Research Fund for Coal and Steel; Citizens’ dialogues and Citizens’ participation in the EU decision-making; EU-NATO cooperation in the context of transatlantic relations; Old continent growing older – possibilities and challenges related to ageing policy post 2020; The creation of guidelines for the application of the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget; EU global human rights sanctions regime (EU Magnitsky Act); and the Annual Report on the functioning of the Schengen area. There will also be votes on amendments of Visa Information System (VIS): visa processing; Visa Information System (VIS): conditions for accessing other EU information systems for VIS; and The creation of guidelines for the application of the general regime of conditionality for the protection of the Union budget.
Thursday 8 July
Plenary Session
There will be debates on Labour rights in Bangladesh; Sustained price increase of raw and construction materials in Europe; Plans and actions to accelerate a transition to innovation without the use of animals in research, regulatory testing and education; Decent working and employment conditions in the aviation sector; Impact of the Covid-19 crisis on the aviation; and a joint debate on the impact of the COVID-19 crisis on the aviation. There will be debates on cases of breaches of human rights, democracy and the rule of law (Rule 144): The case of Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran; Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily; and The death penalty in Saudi Arabia, notably the cases of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish and Abdullah al-Howaiti.
Votes: There will be final votes on the European Medicines Agency; General Union Environment Action Programme to 2030; A new ERA for Research and Innovation; The case of Ahmadreza Djalali in Iran; Hong Kong, notably the case of Apple Daily; The death penalty in Saudi Arabia, notably the cases of Mustafa Hashem al-Darwish and Abdullah al-Howaiti; Situation in Nicaragua; The repression of the opposition in Turkey, specifically HDP; Establishment of Antarctic Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and the conservation of Southern Ocean biodiversity; Breaches of EU law and of the rights of LGBTIQ citizens in Hungary as a result of the adopted legal changes in the Hungarian Parliament; and a review of the macroeconomic legislative framework.
Find an overview of the parliamentary agenda here.
Council of Ministers
Monday 5 – Tuesday 6 July
Ministerial Meeting on Cross-Border Connectivity between the EU and the Western Balkans
This ministerial meeting will focus on improving mobility and logistics in the Western Balkans, which will have a positive impact on the region’s economic development, reduce disparities with other parts of Europe and strengthen the integration process in the region.
Tuesday 6 – Thursday 8 July
Informal Meeting of the Strategic Committee on Immigration, Frontiers and Asylum
The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the European Union is organising an informal meeting of directors-general and other senior officials in charge of migration and asylum policies in the member states. Current topics in the field of migration, international protection and border management will be addressed.
Thursday 8 – Friday 9 July
Informal meeting of employment and social affairs ministers
The Informal Meeting of EU ministers for Employment and Social Policy will take place on 8 and 9 July 2021. The central focus will be on a resilient and inclusive labour market in terms of the green and digital transition and demographic challenges. Alongside the informal meeting, there will also be a joint meeting of EU ministers of employment and social policy with the ministers of employment of the Western Balkans. The meeting will focus on the promotion of opportunities in the labour market for young people.
An overview of planned Council meetings can be found here.
European Commission and High Representative
Monday 5 July
President von der Leyen virtually attends the Berlin Process Summit
Vice-President Timmermans visits Seoul, South Korea
Vice-President Timmermans visits Seoul, South Korea and meets with Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum and ministers of state. He also visits the Hyundai Environmental Technology Research and Development Centre and meetings with representatives of the Civil Society CIVSOC and with Business representatives of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.
Vice-President Jourová delivers a speech at the Side Event to the 47th Session of the UN Human Rights Council Freedom of Expression and Disinformation
Tuesday 6 July
College Meeting
This week the college will discuss the Renewed sustainable finance strategy. the Establishment of an EU green bond standard, and an Anti-money laundering legislative package.
President von der Leyen delivers a speech at the New European Bauhaus – Werkstatt der Zukunft at the Frankfurt Fashion Week.
Commissioner Várhelyi delivers a speech at the event ‘From Yugoslavia to the European Union: Western Balkans’ European integration and the new geopolitical challenges’
Wednesday 7 July
Vice-President Jourová speaks at the Ukraine Reform Conference
Commissioner Gabriel participates in a roundtable discussion with the education technology sector
Commissioner Várhelyi meets with the Prime Minster of Georgia
Commissioner Várhelyi meets with the Prime Minister of Georgia, Iraki Garibashvili along with the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Georgia, David Zakaliani, the Chairman of the Parliament of Georgia, Kakhaber Kuchav, and with representatives of the political parties
Thursday 8 July
President von der Leyen visits Cyprus and Croatia in relation to the recovery and resilience facility/ Next Generation EU and the national Recovery and Resilience Plan
Vice-President Dombrovski speaks at the Ukraine Reform Conference
Vice-President Borrell participates in the XXV United States- Spain Forum, co-organised by the United States-Spain Council and the Fundación Consejo España – EE.UU
Friday 9 July
Vice-President Jourová delivers a speech at the Hambach Democracy Dialogue 2021 “Europe’s rule of law dilemma: How can the EU better protect Europe’s fundamental values?”
Vice-President Šuica delivers a speech at the Conference ‘Smart Villages – a new concept for rural development’
Commissioner Várhelyi visits Armenia and meets with the President of Armenia, Armen Sarkissian along with the Acting Prime Minster, Nikol Pashinyan and the Acting Deputy Prime Minster of Armenia, Mher Grigoryan
A full list with meetings of Commissioners can be found here; the Commissioners’ weekly activities can be found here; the agenda of the College Meetings can be found here; Commission events can be found here.
European Economic and Social Committee
Tuesday 6 July
Resource and Energy-Intensive Industries and the EU Recovery Plan
The Consultative Commission on Industrial Change will organise this online hearing. It will gather views from key industry stakeholders on how the EU Recovery Plan can support Resources and Energy-Intensive Industries in their socially acceptable transition towards de-carbonisation and digitalisation.
More information about EESC events can be found here.
The agendas of the different EESC meetings can be found here.
Committee of the Regions
Monday 5 July
Conference on the Future of Cross-Border Cooperation
The CoR organised this conference to discuss the effects of the pandemic on cross-border cooperation, and it will feature a presentation of the Resolution and a debate on the future of cross-border cooperation based on the experiences prior and during the pandemic.
Wednesday 7 July
Network of Former Members of the European Committee of the Regions
This online webinar by the Network of Former Members of the European Committee of the Regions will be an occasion to meet and discuss the future of the network. It will also be a chance to update members on the current work of the CoR and to provide them with a policy briefing on the involvement of local and regional authorities in two major European topics: the Conference on the Future of Europe, and the Green Deal.
Thursday 8 July
Work after the great emergency. Young people and the EU response
This initiative is aimed at strengthening the process of bringing Europe closer to its citizens through local representatives, is set in the context of the Conference on the Future of Europe and will offer an excellent opportunity for a dialogue between institutions, companies, associations and stakeholders.
More information about Committee of the Regions events can be found here. The agendas of the different Committee of the Regions meetings can be found here.
Slovenian Presidency
Wednesday 7 – Thursday 8 July
Workshop on the Development of Union Disaster Resilience Goals
A resilient EU that enjoys the trust of its citizens is one of the main priorities of the Slovenian Presidency. In the field of civil protection, the Slovenian Presidency is looking to set the scene, enable discussion and design a common approach for the development of the European Union’s civil protection disaster resilience goals (DRG) that are aimed towards better resilience to the natural and man-made disasters on the EU level.
Thursday 8 July
Conference “The European Union as a Community of People”
At the conference, Slovenian and international experts will exchange experiences in the area of cross-border cooperation and collaboration within the European Grouping of Territorial Cooperation (EGTC) and present best practices used in setting up smart cities, which will apply new technologies to provide innovative solutions to their inhabitants in order to improve the quality of life of people living in these municipalities and beyond.
Thursday 8 – Friday 9 July
“Deepening the European Research Area (ERA) through Gender Equality” Conference
The conference “Deepening the ERA through Gender Equality” will provide a platform for member states, research funders, ERA stakeholders and experts to reflect on the recent advances in gender equality at the national and European levels and the emerging needs to be addressed in the new ERA.
Informal Workshop on Climate Change
The aim of the event is to present the work plan of the Working Group on International Environmental Issues (Climate Change) in the second half of 2021 during the Slovenian presidency.
The agenda of the Slovenian Presidency can be found here.
European Ombudsman
Tuesday 6 July
European Network of Ombudsmen
The European Network of Ombudsmen is organising a webinar for investigators and liaison colleagues. It will discuss Frontex’s Complaints Mechanism and the monitoring of forced returns with the Fundamental Rights Officer at Frontex.
The EU Ombudsman calendar of activities can be found here.
European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights
Monday 5 July
FRA and ODIHR discuss closer cooperation
The discussion will focus on joint initiatives in the context of the Fundamental Rights Forum 2021, including the FRF Hub in Warsaw, and joint communication. FRA’s Director will speak about the Agency’s work on the impact of Covid-19 on fundamental rights and vulnerable groups, including findings from the latest Coronavirus Bulletin on ensuring fair and equal access to vaccines for all and on National Human Rights Institutions.
Wednesday 7 July
Launching FRA’s new hate crime reporting guidance
The FRA will launch a new report on encouraging hate crime reporting during the EU high-level group on racism. The group serves as a platform to support EU and national efforts to prevent and combat hate crime and hate speech. It brings together experts and politicians from Member States, civil society and community-based organisations, EU agencies, particularly FRA, as well as international organisations including the UN, OSCE and the Council of Europe.
Thursday 8 July
FRA Director to address Council internal security committee meeting
The Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU organises the event. It takes place in Portoroz, Slovenia. He will exchange views with delegations about fighting crime in a digital age. The FRA Director will attend the informal meeting of the Council’s Standing Committee on Operational Cooperation on Internal Security (COSI) on 8 July.
Information on upcoming FRA events can be found here.
Council of Europe
Thursday 8 – Monday 12 July
Republic of Moldova – legal assistance to the PACE election observation mission
A delegation of the Venice Commission will accompany the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise on the legal framework of the early parliamentary elections scheduled on 11 July 2021 in the Republic of Moldova. The delegation will hold meetings with other international observers, representatives of the political parties, media and civil society. The delegation will observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the elections.
Saturday 10 – Monday 12 July
BULGARIA – legal assistance to the PACE election observation mission
A delegation of the Venice Commission will accompany the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) election observation delegation to advise on the legal framework of the early parliamentary elections scheduled on 11 July 2021 in Bulgaria. The delegation will hold meetings with representatives of political parties and of the Central Election Commission. The delegation will observe the opening, voting and counting processes of the elections.
Find an overview of Council of Europe events here; the PACE diary here; the Congress calendar of events here; information on forthcoming judgments here; the calendar of hearings here; information on Venice Commission events here; the agenda of the Commissioner of Human Rights here; and the Chairmanship agenda here.
